First, I love the chara design, I really want to know their story. The two characters compete for attention equally, neither wins as the focal point. Deciding who leads the moment would help a lot. The armored figure looking at us while the magic happens in the mage's hands creates confusion about where we should look. I also feel like the depth of field feels inconsistent, it's strong on the hand and cape but doesn't progress naturally through the scene. For the valuess. Squinting, the figures almost merge. A quick 3-4 value thumbnail before rendering could help establish clearer separation. Before the next piece, I would some value/composition thumbnails. Where should the eye go first? What’s the purpose, the story you want to tell. Hope it helps, feel free to reach to me on discord ! PS: the sword looks badass, give it a better looking scabbard please <3